Ammunition package and magazine



March 19, 1968 H. A. INTO 3,373,520

AMMUNITION PACKAGE AND MAGAZINE Filed Feb. 25, 1967 [[6 "3 INVENTOK' HENRY A. lvro AW/1W ATTORNEY United Ste 3,373,529 Patented Mar. 19, 1968 3,373,520 AMMUNITION PACKAGE AND MAGAZINE Henry A. Into, Wallingtord, Conn., assignor to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia Filed Feb. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 618,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 42-49) This invention relates to an ammunition package and, more particularly, relates to an ammunition package which functions as part of a gun magazine.

The present invention has application to conventional ammunition but is more particularly applicable to caseless ammunition of the type in which a propellant charge in the form of compacted powder grains or the like is secured or otherwise attached to the rear end of a bullet. One of the major drawbacks of this type of ammunition at the present time is that it is adversely affected by moisture, oil and other contaminants which are transferred to the propellant as it is handled, fed through the firearm or merely picked up in storage as would be the case with moisture.

This invention contemplates the use of a package of plastic material or the like which is preferably semi-rigid and can be inserted directly into a firearm to function as a magazine tube or can be inserted inside a tubular magazine to form a liner and part of the magazine in a manner which will be explained in detail below.

In accordance with this invention, ammunition is loaded directly into a sealed container or magazine tube and protected against moisture and oil contamination due to handling and storage until it is ready to be used in the firearm.

As noted above, the ammunition package and magazine tube described above is useful and desirable for conventional ammunition also in that it provides a convenient packaging system and a quick and convenient loading system which can be used in conventional firearms with little or no modification to the firearm.

This invention will now be described in detail with ref erence to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a plurality of ammunition packages made in accordance with this invention and secured together to form a single convenient package;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a single ammunition package contemplated by this invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a side view showing an ammunition package, such as seen in FIGURE 2, positioned in a firearm.

Referring now to the drawings, I show in FIGURE 1 a plurality of individual ammunition packages, each designated by the reference numeral 1. The packages are attached to a tear strip or handle 2 for convenience of handling. As seen in FIGURE 2, each package has a generally tubular body structure 3 formed of plastic material or the like which is preferably semi-rigid to provide both rigidity and a certain degree of flexibility. A number of cartridges 4 are positioned inside each tubular package. The rearward end 5 of the package, as seen in FIGURE 2, is closed by a plug 6 which may be of any shape but is preferably cup-shaped as shown. The plug 6 functions as both a magazine follower and a closure. A thin film or adhesive may be used around plug 6 to insure that the package is moisture proof. The film or adhesive releasably holds plug 6 in place until pressure is applied to the plug by a magazine spring. The front or forward end 7 of the tubular body 1 is preferably flattened and closed by heat sealing or by an adhesive to prevent moisture or other contaminating substances from entering the package. For convenience in handling,

a plurality of ammunition packages 1 may be combined, as shown in FIGURE 1. The packages 1 are fastened together by securing a tear strip or handle 2 across the flattened forward end 7 of a plurality of individual packages.

In operation, a tubular package 1 is grasped by the user and the front end 7 thereof is opened by tearing the package just below the heat sealed or adhesively closed mouth. The flattened front end 7 is reformed to a tubular shape as the package is inserted inside a tubular magazine housing 8 through an opening 12, as seen in dotted lines in FIGURE 3, Magazine housing 8 includes a conventional magazine spring 9 and follower rod 10. To insert package 1, follower rod 10 and spring 9 are retracted by engaging lug 13 on follower rod 10 and moving the follower rod forward in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGURE 3. Lug 13 projects through opening 14- in housing 8. Housing 8 is closed by end cap 11 or other equivalent means. The follower rod 10, when released as seen in FIGURE 3, engages plug 6 forcing ammunition 4 to be fed rearwardly through the tubular package and into the firearm as the feeding mechanism of the firearm (not shown) is actuated. After the last round has been fired, the follower rod 10 is retracted by manually grasping lug 13 and the empty package is removed through opening 12. A new package is inserted and the firearm is again ready for use.

While this invention has been described above in detail with respect to certain preferred embodiments of the invention and illustrated in the drawings, other modifications and design changes are also contemplated which are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A moisture resistant ammunition package comprising a tubular body formed from a semi-rigid plastic material, a plug member closing one end of said tubular body and being slidably mounted therein and movable under spring force from one end of said body toward the other end thereof, a plurality of cartridges positioned in said tubular body, and means closing and sealing the other end of said tubular body.

2. The ammunition package of claim 1 in which said other end is flattened and secured closed by heat sealing.

3. A combined ammunition package and gun magazine comprising a tubular housing attached to a firearm, a semi-rigid tubular member removably mounted within said tubular housing, a plurality of cartridges positioned in said tubular member, a follower mounted in one end of said member and forming a closure for said one end, a follower rod and spring mounted in said tubular hous ing operative to engage said follower and move said follower under spring force toward the other end of said package to feed cartridges into a firearm mechanism, and means in said tubular housing operative to retract said follower rod and spring to facilitate the removal of said package from said tubular housing after it is empty.

4. An ammunition package comprising a plurality of semi-rigid plastic tubular members in a side-by-side parallel arrangement, a follower member closing and sealing one end of each of said tubular members, a plurality of cartridges positioned in each of said tubular members, the opposite end of each of said members being flattened, connected and sealed together by a handle member to form a single convenient package.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

3. A COMBINED AMMUNITION PACKAGE AND GUN MAGAZINE COMPRISING A TUBULAR HOUSING ATTACHED TO A FIREARM, A SEMI-RIGID TUBULAR MEMBER REMOVABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF CARTRIDGES POSITIONED IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, A FOLLOWER MOUNTED IN ONE END OF SAID MEMBER AND FORMING A CLOSURE FOR SAID ONE END, A FOLLOWER ROD AND SPRING MOUNTED IN SAID TUBULAR HOUSING OPERATIVE TO ENGAGE SAID FOLLOWER AND MOVE SAID FOLLOWER UNDER SPRING FORCE TOWARD THE OTHER END OF SAID PACKAGE TO FEED CARTRIDGES INTO A FIREARM MECHANISM, AND MEANS IN SAID TUBULAR HOUSING OPERATIVE TO RETRACT SAID FOLLOWER ROD AND SPRING TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF SAID PACKAGE FROM SAID TUBULAR HOUSING AFTER IT IS EMPTY. 